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The ’09 boating season may be off to a slow start but sailors and power boaters hungering to get back on the water will find kindred spirits and perhaps their next vessel at the 7th Annual Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors Show, August 7-9, in Rockland, Maine. The state’s only in-water boat and home show will feature more than 70 boats afloat and 150 exhibitors on shore. Participating will be many of Maine’s finest artists, architects, boat builders, craftsmen, designers, furniture makers, marine gear vendors, and musicians. This year a new area is planned exploring alternative energy sources and building practices, energy audits, and sustainability. Returning faves include a model yacht pond, live music, a marine activities area for kids. Naturally there will be plenty of tasty Maine food.

The 7th Annual World Championship Boatyard Dog Trials on Sunday Aug. 9 at 10:30 a.m. gives contestants and their people a chance to show off skills to the amusement of one and all. The 2008 World Champ, a bloodhound named Truman, aka Special Agent K-9 entered by the Humane Society of Knox Count, was trained by local teens. Truman performed nearly the equal of 007 as he leaped from a tippy dinghy, kissed a femme fatale, disarmed special agents, responded to commands in multiple languages, knocked a villain off the dock and then slipped back under cover as a family dog. Soon after last year’s show, he adopted into a loving home. Registration is now closed but still this is a great event for families and dog lovers (and likers).
You’ll also want to catch the Great Pen Bay Zucchini Boat Regatta on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Tradition Shapes Innovation, the show’s theme, captures the true spirit of today’s Maine. Admission: $10 adults, under 12 free. Gates open at 10 a.m. daily. Harbor and Buoy parks, Rockland, Maine, on Penobscot Bay. No pets allowed. Info and directions: 800-565-4951 or www.maineboats.com.